30 Years of ABM
This year marks a major milestone for the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) as it celebrates more than three decades of advancing breastfeeding medicine worldwide.
The story of how ABM began was recently reflected on in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine in the article “The Birth of ABM” by Julie Ware and Anne Eglash.
Their article traces how a small spark of curiosity and determination eventually became a global professional organization dedicated to improving breastfeeding care.
A Personal Experience That Sparked a Movement
Dr. Anne Eglash’s interest in breastfeeding medicine grew from both her academic background and her personal experiences as a new mother.
During her undergraduate studies, she researched primate behavior and observed monkeys giving birth and nursing their infants. The experience shaped her assumption that breastfeeding would simply be a natural part of motherhood.
However, during medical training in the 1980s, she encountered a very different reality. At the time, postpartum care often focused on suppressing lactation rather than supporting it.
As Ware and Eglash describe, common postpartum order sets included medications designed to stop milk production, reflecting the widespread belief that most mothers would not breastfeed.
Discovering a Gap in Medical Education
After residency, Dr. Eglash welcomed her first baby in 1990 and faced challenges with milk production. What surprised her most was how little guidance existed within the medical system.
Reflecting on that time, she realized that “I didn’t learn anything about breastfeeding.”
Determined to find answers, she began reading every breastfeeding article she could find in family medicine journals. Ware and Eglash recount that she kept these articles by her bedside, rereading them until they were “dog-eared and falling apart.”
This search for knowledge ultimately led her to pursue formal lactation consultant training, where she met fellow physician Elizabeth Williams, who would later become a co-founder of ABM.
From an Idea to an Organization
While participating in a lactation training program at UCLA, physicians gathered monthly to discuss clinical cases involving breastfeeding support. A pattern quickly emerged.
“Struggles can lead to something powerful and good for others.”
— Dr. Anne Eglash
As Ware and Eglash write, participants often noticed that “the doctor foiled the lactation support plan.”
Recognizing the need for physician education and collaboration, colleagues encouraged Dr. Eglash and Dr. Williams to create a professional organization focused on breastfeeding medicine. They even contributed $500 in seed funding to help launch the idea.
The organization initially began as Physicians Advocating Breastfeeding (PhAB) before evolving into what we now know as the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
A Community of Leaders
Early organizers reached out to respected leaders in maternal and infant health, including:
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Ruth Lawrence
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Miriam Labbok
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Lawrence Gartner
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Audrey Naylor
These early pioneers helped establish ABM’s mission, bylaws, and international vision during meetings in the early 1990s.
At a time before email and widespread internet use, most of the organizational work took place through phone calls and letters, requiring remarkable dedication from the founding members.
A Lasting Impact
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine quickly grew into an influential global organization. Key milestones included:
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The first ABM annual conference in 1995
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Development of evidence-based clinical protocols
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Launch of the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine
Today, ABM continues to serve as a leading international voice for breastfeeding medicine, supporting clinicians through research, education, and collaboration.
Why This Story Matters
The creation of ABM reminds us that meaningful change in healthcare often begins with curiosity and persistence.
As Ware and Eglash’s article illustrates, a single physician’s search for better knowledge eventually helped build a global professional community dedicated to improving care for mothers and infants.
For organizations like the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes, the work of ABM continues to shape evidence-based care that benefits families and the smallest patients who depend on human milk.
for more information on donating milk check out this page milkbankwgl.org/donate-milk/
Ware J, Eglash A.
The “Birth” of ABM. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2026.
https://doi.org/10.1177/15568253261421551
